Clicks just showed its BlackBerry-inspired Communicator in action — and it looks worth the wait

What you need to know

• Clicks has shared a hands-on video of a working Communicator prototype, giving us our first real look at the device.
• The Communicator runs a customized Niagara Launcher and lets you navigate apps by typing directly on the physical keyboard.
• Hardware highlights include a fingerprint sensor in the space bar, front-firing speakers, a headphone jack, and a micro SD card slot.
• Clicks is positioning it as a secondary communication-focused device running Android 16, with a Q4 2026 ship date.

We all remember the BlackBerry-inspired Clicks Communicator that turned heads at CES 2026, and the company has now shared a hands-on video showing off a real working prototype.

When Clicks announced the Communicator earlier this year, the BlackBerry-esque design paired with a modern Android experience immediately caught everyone's attention. But until now, we hadn't seen an actual working prototype. Clicks is changing that with a new hands-on video uploaded to its YouTube channel, giving us a proper preview of what's coming.

The video opens with Clicks VP Jeff Gadway walking through the Communicator's custom interface. He showcases the modified Niagara Launcher that'll come pre-installed on the device, demonstrating how you can customize it, reorganize apps, and quickly search and jump into apps by typing directly on the physical keyboard. The demo also covers how calls and other basic tasks work on the device.

Gadway also walks through some of the other hardware highlights, including a space bar that doubles as a fingerprint sensor for secure authentication. He talks about the front-firing speakers and an advanced microphone system built for better voice quality, and also shows off the 3.5mm headphone jack.

On top of that, he showcases the removable back cover and gives a peek at the internals, including both an SD card slot and a microSD card slot.

Beyond what's shown in the video, we already know the Clicks Communicator will run Android 16 and feature a 4-inch OLED display. Gadway also confirmed that more hardware features will be covered in upcoming videos, including a signal light LED, a prompt key, a touch-sensitive keyboard, and more.

This is still just our first real look at the Clicks Communicator. Clicks is positioning it as a secondary device built specifically for communication, while your primary phone handles everything else. It's set to ship in Q4 this year, and we'll be taking a much deeper look once we're closer to launch.

Android Central's Take

Okay, this is pretty exciting. After covering Android smartphones all year, most of which are great in their own right, the Clicks Communicator feels like something we haven't seen in a long time. The BlackBerry nostalgia is real, and I can't wait to get my hands on one.